GRIFFIN FARMS ~ QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT FROM A FARM- HOW DO I DO IT?
Great Question! To start, you have already begun by being here. Buying farm direct is kinda easy. Contact the farm, typically get onto a waiting list usually 2-4 months, sometimes more, sometimes less. Calculate your budget, needs and storage space. Place a deposit to secure your place in line. Our farm, we will take the beef to the processor, you speak with the processor on how you want your beef. That tyically includes what sort of cuts you prefer, steaks, roasts organ meat, size of packaging such as one or two steaks per package, thickness of steaks etc. Some people want more burger, less roasts etc. My recomendation is get the premium steaks, a roast or two and the rest burger. Get the suet and use for birds, or make your own healthy beef tallow. Get the liver, tongue and heart for your pets, or friends pets if you do not like organ meats.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
When buying farm direct, Beef is sold by the pound. We sell by the hanging weight, the Whole steer, Half or Quarter. Hanging weight is about 60% of the animal’s live weight. This means you only pay for the parts of the Beef you can eat.
HOW MUCH BEEF WILL I RECIEVE?
That depends on your choice of cuts. Unfortunately, cattle are not made entirely of steak. However, your choice will still be higher quality than what you will find in most stores. Premium steaks such as Filet Mignon, Porterhouse, and Ribeye are popular choices. We have placed examples of real world customer orders that yield about 60% of the hanging weight. So, an easy math example, a 500 lb. hanging weight half, should yield you 300 lbs. of finished beef. At $5.00 per lb. hanging weight, that is $2500 including the packaging. Or an average of $8.33 per lb. for premium steaks, roasts and burger.
HOW IS THE BEEF PACKAGED?
Cuts are vacuum sealed to ensure long shelf life, labeled with the date, cut, and weight. Hamburger comes in your choice of 1lb, 2lb, or larger packages.
WHAT ARE THE CATTLE FED
At Griffin Farms™, our cattle are grass-fed on lush, nutrient-rich pastures. They are then grain-finished with our own home-grown hay, ensuring they receive the highest quality nutrition for a well-balanced, healthy diet.
CAN I BUY A STEAK?
At this time, we are concentrating on-farm direct “bulk” beef sales, not individual cuts. To keep costs low, we do not have an expensive retail presence, nor are we set up for mail orders. We are concentrating our efforts on providing extremely high-quality beef, in “bulk” quantities. This will provide you with the best value by purchasing whole, half, or 1/4 of beef. It also provides a great variety, and the blended cost of steaks to burgers is far less than you could ever find at a retail store.
HOW MANY CATTLE DO YOU HAVE?
On the scale of farms, we are small. We have about 50 cows, and our goal is to finish out 50-100 head per year. That means we keep all the steers, and most of the heifers (a heifer is a female that has not had a calf).
Our plan is to grow the cow herd to supply all your beef needs. As we grow to scale, we may purchase local steers to add to our herd for finished beef.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?
Griffin Farms™ was started in the 1950s by Bob and Nancy Griffin. Bob grew up farming and raised cattle his whole life. Nancy’s father was the local veterinarian. He grew his farm as his other business, Griffin Beverage Company grew. Many people would say that farming was his preferred job. Bob Griffin Jr. grew up helping with daily chores, buying some of his own cattle while in grade school, and selling that herd to attend Michigan State to study business and marketing. Upon Bob Sr.’s passing in 2019, Bob Jr. continued the family farming tradition.
CAN WE TAKE A TOUR OF YOUR FARM?
We do not have tours, however, our farms are located in West Branch, Michigan. Right off I-75 exit 212.
You can take a driving tour and see our cattle in the fields on the right day. Send us a message and we can provide more details.
Request A Quote online, E-Mail, or
Call to place your order today,
E-Mail: ogemawbeef@griffinbev.com
Phone: 1-(989)-345-3818